Refund Policy
The Archives of Clinical and Experimental Orthopaedics (ACEO) strives to maintain transparent and fair financial practices concerning publication charges. This Refund Policy governs requests for reimbursement of Article Processing Charges (APCs) or related fees in compliance with COPE and ICMJE principles.
“Fairness and transparency in publication charges reflect the journal’s commitment to ethical open access publishing.”
1. General Refund Principles
APCs are collected only after the manuscript has successfully passed initial editorial and peer review checks. Once payment is made, processing begins immediately, and thus, refunds are only possible under exceptional and justifiable conditions.
- Refunds are considered solely for genuine errors or processing anomalies.
- No refund is applicable once the article has been published online with a DOI assigned.
- Refund requests must originate from the corresponding author and include proof of payment.
2. Eligible Scenarios for Refund
Refunds or partial refunds may be issued in the following cases:
| Scenario | Refund Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Duplicate Payment | ✔ Full refund upon verification |
| Systemic or technical error during payment processing | ✔ Full refund |
| Article rejected after APC payment but before publication | ✔ 50% refund (minus editorial costs) |
| Withdrawal before final publication and DOI assignment | ✔ Partial refund as per Withdrawal Policy |
| Author-proven payment fraud | ✔ Full refund after verification |
3. Non-Refundable Scenarios
Refunds will not be issued under the following conditions:
- Author dissatisfaction with editorial or reviewer comments.
- Withdrawal requests after online publication.
- Delayed publication due to author-side revisions or responses.
- Failure to read or comply with journal submission guidelines.
- Force majeure events beyond the publisher’s control (natural disasters, internet outages, etc.).
4. Refund Request Procedure
To initiate a refund, authors must submit a written request to the editorial office. The request must include:
To: [email protected]
Subject: Refund Request – [Manuscript ID and Title]
Body:
- Name of Corresponding Author
- Date and Proof of Payment (Transaction ID, Receipt)
- Reason for Refund Request
- Bank/PayPal details for reimbursement
- Signature of Corresponding Author
5. Refund Review and Processing
All refund requests undergo review by the Editorial Finance Committee to ensure compliance with policy. Approved refunds are processed as follows:
- Verification period: 10 working days after receiving complete documentation.
- Refund approval notification sent via email.
- Reimbursement executed within 15 working days of approval.
Refunds are typically issued using the same payment method used during the original transaction unless otherwise requested.
6. Refund Percentage Structure
Partial refund percentages are determined based on the progress of editorial work:
| Stage of Processing | Refund % |
|---|---|
| Before peer review initiation | 90% |
| After peer review but before acceptance | 50% |
| After acceptance but before publication | 20% |
| After online publication | 0% |
7. APC Waiver and Refund Distinction
Waivers and refunds are separate processes:
- Waiver: Granted before payment, usually based on author’s low-income status or funding limitations.
- Refund: Issued after payment under specific, justified circumstances.
8. Author Communication and Transparency
All refund communications are documented in the journal’s financial system to ensure traceability and transparency. Authors receive automated acknowledgments for every request submitted.
9. Refund Appeals
If a refund request is denied, the author may appeal by writing to [email protected] within 10 working days of notification. Appeals are independently reviewed by the Ethics and Compliance Committee.
10. Ethical and Legal Compliance
All refunds are handled in accordance with international accounting standards, anti-fraud regulations, and COPE’s Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers.
11. Currency Conversion and Processing Charges
Refunds are issued in USD. Any currency conversion fees, bank transaction charges, or intermediary processing costs are borne by the recipient, not the publisher.
12. Conclusion
The Refund Policy of ACEO ensures that authors are treated with fairness and transparency in all financial matters. The journal remains committed to ethical open-access practices that promote trust between authors, readers, and the publishing community.